Heavy metals pose a health risk. Exposure to lead, copper, cadmium, and other heavy metal ions are known to cause various negative health consequences. Heavy metals may come from the water and particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns in the air. Thus the heavy metal ions may be absorbed by the body by drinking polluted water or breathing in air containing particulate matter.
Instrumentation for detecting ions is typically designed for use in a laboratory setting, and is both large and expensive. To date, a consumer product for detecting heavy metals is not available.